Saturday, February 2, 2008

White Zombie (1932)

White Zombie (1932)

The Halperin Brothers' creaky, creepy, crusty masterpiece is back in release with a sparkling print from the folks at Englewood Entertainment. For those willing to invest in the film's funereal pacing and ulta-melodramatics, White Zombie pays off richly. Bela Lugosi, who threw every atom of his being into even the lowliest roles, was never better, and his collection of unflappable, wild-eyed zombies are still scary after nearly 70 years. The movie's matter-of-fact handling of horror is its chief asset -- when a hapless, zombified plantation worker stumbles into a mill and is crushed to death, the camera barely pauses to acknowledge the tragedy.